Various types of neckwear have been worn in fashionable society for several centuries. French officers returning from the Thirty Years' War brought stylish Croatian neckerchiefs with them. The apparel was introduced in England by Charles II and shortly thereafter found its way to the American colonies. By the nineteenth century, the neckerchiefs had evolved into numerous styles of cravats and an equally numerous set of knots for tying them. The rise of the middle-class office worker led to the introduction of the modern necktie. Unlike the wealthy, working-class people were unable to spend enormous amounts of time carefully knotting their neckwear. Their neckwear needed to be comfortable and easy to don. The dominant knot was relatively simple to tie, easy to loosen, and yet did not easily come undone. The knot became known as the "four-in-hand" knot because the long trailing ends emerging from the front of the knot resembled the reins of four-horse carriages. The Windsor knot, sometimes also called the double Windsor, was named for the Duke of Windsor, who appreciated a somewhat thicker knot than the standard four-in-hand. Perhaps attracted by its added complexity, the Windsor knot is preferred by political and business leaders, as well as foreign royalty.
Just as mid-nineteenth-century office life heralded in the era of the modern tie, twenty-first century office life brings with it a different view of neckwear. Many workers no longer need to regularly wear a necktie, so although the four-in-hand knot is not particularly difficult to master when practiced regularly, it can be difficult to remember for those few occasions when a necktie is required. In addition, because many individuals no longer wear a necktie daily, they also typically do not possess the great assortment of neckties that were once a common part of the wardrobe owned by many older office workers. As such, those occasions that require a necktie may find many individuals without neckwear that suitably matches the individual's clothing, and without the skill to adequately tie any neckwear that might be owned. The current invention simultaneously addresses both of these problems.
Another problem with traditional neckties is their limited range of adjustment. An individual with a long torso and a thick neck may find that the front apron terminates well above the individual's waist. Alternatively, an individual with a short torso and a small neck may find that the front apron continues well below the individual's waist. Both situations present an awkward appearance. Preferred embodiments of the present invention alleviate this problem.
Pre-tied neckwear and neckwear with simulated knots have existed for a long time. Inventors have expended great effort to develop neckwear that does not need to be tied.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,112, Dawes discloses an assemblable necktie that includes a collar assembly, a knot assembly, a replacement tie assembly, and a tie assembly securement. The knot assembly comprises a first end portion having a collar loop formed therein for retaining the collar assembly, an intermediate portion, and a second end portion. The first end portion, intermediate portion, and the second end portion are so foldable so as to form a knot during use, having the appearance of a knot in a conventional tie. The replaceable tie assembly is securable to the knot assembly. The Dawes assemblable necktie requires the use of tie assembly securement and the procedure for folding the knot assembly is complicated. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,453 to Chen includes a knot formed with a seat, a binding device having a fixing block removably engaged with the seat of the knot, and a front apron provided with a fastening means at an upper end thereof engageable with the knot, whereby the front apron of the necktie can be changed as desired and the necktie can be easily converted to a bow tie. The device is mechanically complex and somewhat bulky. In addition, the clip-on front apron is likely to tension the front apron unnaturally and produce an awkward-looking necktie. The clip-on front apron also is not adjustable in length.
Torres proposed a three-piece necktie assembly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,893. The assembly incorporates a simulated necktie knot and a neckband that allows a fabric necktie tail portion to be added without making a conventional knot. The neckband may be elastic and may be opened, closed and adjusted in a number of ways. Because the fabric necktie portion is simply folded over the neckband portion, the fabric necktie portion is not firmly attached and may slip; resulting in a front apron that becomes unduly long or short. In addition, the fabric necktie portion must be readjusted for length prior to each wearing.